thresher

[thresh-er]

noun

1. a person or thing that threshes.

2. Also called thresher shark. Also a large shark of the genus Alopias, especially A. vulpinus, which threshes the water with its long tail to drive together the small fish on which it feeds.

thresher

/ ˈθrɛʃə /

noun

1. a person who threshes

2. short for threshing machine

3. Also called: thrasher.  thresher shark. any of various large sharks of the genus Alopias, esp A. vulpinus, occurring in tropical and temperate seas: family Alopiidae. They have a very long whiplike tail with which they are thought to round up the small fish on which they feed

Word History and Origins

Origin of thresher¹

First recorded in 1350–1400, thresher is from the Middle English word thressher. See thresh, -er ¹

Example Sentences

Its rice was a finicky crop that sprouts slow, skinny and tall, with fewer grains per bunch, and heads that can sag below the reach of the thresher and end up in the mud.

From Los Angeles Times

The smack of the thresher’s tail stuns a few unlucky fish, which the shark then gobbles up.

From New York Times

Prior research has examined the vertebrae of thresher sharks, but in the context of the forces experienced during swimming.

From Science Daily

And on Wednesday, the Finnish Confederation of Industries sponsored an all-day webinar with Ukrainian officials so companies could show off their wastewater treatment plants, transformers, threshers and prefabricated housing.

From New York Times

That can be bad news for swimmers and surfers, but is probably a good sign for the oceans — the great whites, hammerheads, thresher and tiger sharks are all vital to keeping the ecosystem in balance.

From Washington Times